Dissolving borders to re-establish biodiversity

The Government of Ireland Act 1920, whilst defining the border, never divided the territorial waters around it. These spaces are only ever acknowledged as “The Commission’s Waters”, referring to the Irish Border Commission.
Data shows that the population of many species in these waters has declined significantly, which could easily be countered if both Ireland and Northern Ireland worked together.

When visiting Carlingford, there was a constant focus on the Lough rather than the town itself, which presented an opportunity to expand the project’s purpose past the border of the town and then the country. Further research into the Lough’s ecology and aquacultural history revealed the local biodiversity loss.

This project is something commissioned by the waters to eliminate the contested border of Carlingford Lough and see the area as nature does. It unites both states under the common cause of re-establishing the local ecosystem by reversing the biodiversity loss. Representative charities from each side (IWT & WWT) will work within the space to complete essential research on the Lough to achieve this goal.
Research into types of marine research and the differing legislation between each state were filtered through an iterative design process to create a collaborative space for positive change.

Architecture is used here to overcome historical and political issues and explore the potential of ambiguous space. Architecture must be used to accommodate conversation and change in the face of borderless problems, such as biodiversity loss, to establish a more sustainable future.